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October 21, 2011

Latina Activist Wins Berger-Marks’ Edna Award

By  Mike Hall / AFL-CIO


Ana Maria Archila, co-director of Make the Road New York (MRNY), is the winner of the first-ever Berger-Marks Foundation’s Edna Award for social justice. The $10,000 award recognizes young women whose leadership in the social justice movement has already fueled social change.

The non-profit MRNY works to empower and bring economic justice to low-income Latino residents and other New Yorkers. Archila, 32, immigrated to the United States from Colombia when she was 17. Inspired by her own struggle to adapt to an unfamiliar culture, she serves Latino immigrants and other low-income working families in some of New York City’s poorest communities.

More than 400 people from the United States, Canada and other countries were nominated. Berger-Marks President Linda Foley says:

The range of activities of the applicants to further social justice was remarkable—from union organizers and leaders, programs to end inner-city violence, and immigrant rights advocacy, to fundraising to help African children orphaned by AIDS.

The award is named after Edna Berger, the foundation’s namesake and an early organizer at the Newspaper Guild-CWA. The foundation, named for Berger and her husband, composer Edward Marks, seeks to bring to women the benefits of unionization through training, research and other resources.

To read the original article, click here.


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Historic Paid Sick Days Victory in NYC!

New York City just became the largest city in the U.S.to win paid sick days! On May 8, 2013, the City Council passed legislation to require paid sick days for one million New Yorkers. Without this critical legal protection, workers risk losing their jobs for taking a sick day. When workers go in to work sick, they put the public and their co-workers at risk of disease.

Starting April 2014, all workers will be protected from being fired if they must take a sick day to care for themselves or a sick family member, and workers at larger employers will receive 5 paid days of sick leave each year.

This major workplace justice and public health victory is the product of a four-year campaign led by courageous workers and small businesses who stood up for what’s right. We thank our partners at the Working Families Party, the NYS Paid Family Leave Coalition, SEIU 32BJ, the Progressive Caucus, Speaker Quinn and Council Members Brewer and Ferreras, for standing with us for NYC’s workers.


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